I was hoping my next post would be about something else, but yesterday I had such an interesting run that it deserved a blog post of its own. And I'm sorry to those who expected me to write this last night when i got home, but I was so wiped out, I just went to bed, defeated really.
My RunKeeper app suggested I do a 4 mile slow run, however, due to my cold and having run less during the week, I was interested in maybe going further and also hoping for some difficult terrain. I decided to look on mountain biking sites to find a good trail because I have had better luck with them than hiking trails. Apparently hikers don't like to work very hard or something. And I found that Red Rocks has a nice loop when connected with Dakota Falls trail. Length: 6 miles. Perfect.
I parked at Matthews/Winters Park near the Amphitheater and began on the Red Rocks loop, which is not what I originally wanted to do because it's the easier of the two and I'd rather get the hard stuff done first. But it seemed the most logical. Straight away, lightning ahead of me. Sweet!
My RunKeeper app suggested I do a 4 mile slow run, however, due to my cold and having run less during the week, I was interested in maybe going further and also hoping for some difficult terrain. I decided to look on mountain biking sites to find a good trail because I have had better luck with them than hiking trails. Apparently hikers don't like to work very hard or something. And I found that Red Rocks has a nice loop when connected with Dakota Falls trail. Length: 6 miles. Perfect.
I parked at Matthews/Winters Park near the Amphitheater and began on the Red Rocks loop, which is not what I originally wanted to do because it's the easier of the two and I'd rather get the hard stuff done first. But it seemed the most logical. Straight away, lightning ahead of me. Sweet!
But then right after I see that, I come across this foreboding sign:
Obviously I went right ahead. The weather wasn't too bad throughout the whole climb, but I did come across two mountain climbers next to me overhearing one of them say, "I don't know if we panic or freak out right now?!" which gave me a chuckle. And on I went. Finally the storm dies down, but then it's climb number two when I get to Dakota Falls.
And when I reach my "DING WORKOUT COMPLETE" chime in from my phone at 4 miles, I feel pretty done. And I feel accomplished, and I'm like whatever for the rest of the run. It's when I'm nearing the top, have a few tumbles down and see that the storm is now right behind the red rocks trail I was just on. Well, good thing I went this direction instead of DF first. And with my few tumbles, I kind of really hurt myself and it was about mile 5 that I felt super done and ready to be at my car. But there's no where to turn except to keep trudging on the trail the full 6.3 miles. And then there's more uphills and I see that some pretty bad lightening is straight head and I'm running right toward it. And I pass tree after tree that has been struck by lightning in years' past. And I'm exhausted and mentally burnt out and the rain picks up and the wind is getting super intense and I'm just basically not feeling it. At All. I was so wrecked emotionally and mentally and physically that I did not feel safe until I was INSIDE my car and even then I just felt so defeated and drained and in pain. It was not a fun 25 minute drive home.
Yet it was probably the most beautiful perfect trail I've run on yet (though Lair O' The Bear was pretty unbeatable) and I stopped every 10 minutes to take pictures because the storm in the background really upped the breathtaking factor.
But coming home, my only desire was to sit in the tub with a scalding hot shower and soak it out. When Jake got home after having dinner with our two Romanian couchsurfers, he came in the bathroom to find me enervated and hoarse and the look in his face said it all, "Go the eff to bed." And I did.
But coming home, my only desire was to sit in the tub with a scalding hot shower and soak it out. When Jake got home after having dinner with our two Romanian couchsurfers, he came in the bathroom to find me enervated and hoarse and the look in his face said it all, "Go the eff to bed." And I did.